Weekend Picks (2/21 – 2/23)

Thursday, February 21

“This instrumental quartet cite ’70s cosmic rock from Germany as the model for their iridescent guitars and precisely calibrated hypnorhythms. What they actually sound like, though, is as non-obscure as imaginable – the world-conquering U2 of The Joshua Tree.” — Blender Magazine

“The Wheeler Boys write songs about what they know: working-class struggle, politics and weed. It’s a far cry from the star-studded image that defines Atlanta’s mainstream hip-hop, but in a weary underground scene that’s building up as the tide of trap music recedes, the rise of a group like the Wheeler Boys is a sign that the times are changing.”— Chad Radford (Creative Loafing)

Friday, February 22

“In the roaring salvo, one was left with a feeling that Menomena is indeed miscategorized as an “experimental” band; they’re an honest-to-gosh indie rock band, filled with all the lyrical wit, musical risk-taking, and instrumental orgies that implies.”— Ben Kaye (Consequence of Sound)

“Holly Williams is the kind of poetic songwriter country music once embraced. These days, the powerfully sensitive songs featured on her new album…are relegated to the independent Americana genre that exists outside of the arena-rock formulas of country radio.”— Michael McCall (Associated Press)

Saturday, February 23

“While he became a star in the late 1990s by trafficking a profane blend of heavy metal, country and hip-hop, Rock, 42, has become a progressively more refined artist. His best songs were once incendiary bursts of braggadocio. The highlights of Rock’s recent albums resemble the softer side of his fellow Detroit rocker Bob Seger. As a wag recently suggested on Twitter, Kid Rock might consider changing his name to Adult Contemporary.— Bill Brownlee (The Kansas City Star)

“How awesome is this? A band from Nashville that doesn’t play country. [FroSkull] play progressive technical rock and do it in such a fashion that my ears just went HELL YEAH! And not a country style hell yeah either…” — The Truth Reviews